Carlos Rozas Larraín

Carlos Rozas Larraín (14 August 1901 – 24 August 1970) was a Chilean engineer, novelist and conservative politician.

Biography He was the son of Manuel Rozas Ariztía and Rebeca Larraín Prieto, and married María Reyes García-Huidobro in 1924.

He studied at the Colegio San Ignacio and later at the Faculty of Engineering of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. During his university years he also cultivated the arts, distinguishing himself as a writer of short stories, novels and poetry.

He worked in commercial and agricultural enterprises, participating in the administration of family estates such as “El Tránsito” in Longaví, “El Carmen” in Linares and “Retiro” and “Santa Delfina” in Retiro. He was also a member of the National Agriculture Society.

Political Activities As a member of the Conservative Party, he was elected Deputy for the 14th Departamental Group—Linares, Loncomilla and Parral—for the 1937–1941 legislative term, during which he served on the Permanent Committee on Constitution, Legislation and Justice.

He was re-elected for the 1941–1945 term, participating in the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Economy and Commerce. He obtained a third consecutive re-election for the 1945–1949 term, continuing his work in the same committees. In 1948 he distanced himself from the Conservative Party and gravitated toward left-wing intellectual circles. He was also a member of the Club de La Unión.

Literary Activities Rozas Larraín revealed his literary vocation later in life. His works depict the Chilean rural world of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and he is considered part of the “Neocriollista” movement, characterized by autobiographical elements and a humorous tone.

His first book, Isla Negra (1959), was followed by the novels Campo viejo (1960), El nómade (1965) and El último de los Alándegui (1967). He also published the short story collection Barco negro (1963) and the poetry volume Juan sin nombre (1966).

In addition to his literary production, he served as director of the Sociedad de Escritores de Chile, receiving the Municipal Prize for Short Stories and the Prize of the Academia Chilena de la Lengua in 1965.